


Remember the Name

by RosettaStarlight



Series: The White Widow [1]
Category: Avengers, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Family, Best Friends, Bruce Banner Has Issues, Bruce Banner Needs a Hug, Developing Friendships, Don't think the relationship between my OC and Peter Parker will last, Enemies to Friends, Epic Friendship, F/M, Friendship/Love, Gen, Heartbreak, Male-Female Friendship, Multi, Other, Post-Avengers (2012), Pre-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Protective Avengers, Protective Bruce, Protective Natasha Romanov, Protective Steve Rogers, Science Bros, Tony Being Tony, Whoever said dealing with an army of Chitauri were easy?, You won't want to mess with this redhead
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-11-30 14:00:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11465055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosettaStarlight/pseuds/RosettaStarlight
Summary: Melody was six years old when her father was murdered by H.Y.D.R.A. agents because of what he did for a living. As a result, S.H.I.E.L.D. came into her life to protect her. Rather than let them, ever since, she wanted nothing more than to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, to follow in her father's footsteps. Now thirteen, she can fight in heels, she's the top of each of her classes at S.H.I.E.L.D. academy, and is just as good in battle as the infamous Natasha Romanoff. Even so, no one takes her seriously, everyone telling her she's too young, though she constantly tries to prove them wrong. When Nick Fury chooses her for the Avengers Initiative, she sees it as her opportunity to prove herself. Believe it or not, there's a lot more to this girl than you think you know.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my first fanfic on here! I hope you guys like it! This story is not one about romance or anything. Yes, there might be some along the line EVENTUALLY. But not yet. Anyway, thanks for clicking on this, and I hope you don't think it was a waste of time. Either way, I am honored that you actually clicked on this, so until later, bye!

_Bare feet skidded against the pristine, marble floor as a little girl ran for her life, fear and adrenaline roaring in her ears. Blood stained the perfectly waxed floor, drops of crimson speckling the tiles._

_She ran through the twisting hallways of the house that she once felt safe in, stumbling along the way, her pounding footsteps matching the heavy thrumming of her heart. They were behind her, weren't they? Chasing her. He wouldn't let her get away that easily. He always got what he wanted, and what he wanted right now was her. And she couldn't go back. She couldn't. Not after what she saw him do._

_Angry shouts rang through the air, and she turned a corner to nearly come face to face with the owner of that voice. Her eyes widened fearfully, and she darted down another corridor, the cries of, "Come back!" faded away the faster she ran. Fear made her forget about the blood streaming from her left leg and the gash on her forehead, blending in with the crimson strands of hair. There was only time to focus on one thing. Escaping. It was either that or let him find her and catch her. She couldn't let that happen. There was no telling what he'd do to her if he caught her._

_The floor tilted under her feet as she stumbled to the door, spots dancing in her vision. No, no, she had to keep going. She had to get out, and then there was no more fear, no more torture, just freedom. Maybe she might be able to finally go home. Home to her mother._

_When she saw the large oak doors that would lead out to the driveway, she pushed herself to go faster. From there she could cut through the thin layer of woods that surrounded the house, then run into the outskirts of the city. After that, there was only one place she could go. Anywhere would be fine, though, so long as she got away from him. What would happen next, she had no clue._

_Using all her strength, the child pushed the doors open, and gasped at the cold night air. The first time she'd breathed in fresh air for about a month. The bitter cold bit into her pale skin. Dark blood covering her left leg contrasted starkly with her paper white complexion. Shaking it off, she tore off into the forest._

_As she burst into the woods, her fear was too strong for her to realize she was free. Pain and grief smothered any joy she might've felt, overtaking her mind. Echoes of gunshots vibrated through her mind. Her own screams when he shot her father. Back a month where she couldn't do anything but watch him be killed. Images of his blood splattering the floor and his blank eyes staring straight ahead as she kept screaming for him flashed behind her eyes._

_Branches, brambles and rocks cut into her feet and tore at her dress, grabbing at her skin as she ran and ran and ran. A sliver of the moon provided just enough light for her to see a few feet ahead of herself. She stumbled and fell, her palms and knees meeting the cool, damp forest ground, the scent of earth and leaves evading her senses. That was when she heard the footsteps. She stayed on the ground, hiding in the dense foliage. She turned her head to one side, trying to quiet her breathing, her heartbeat so loud in her ears, she prayed he didn't hear it. Just as she thought that, a pair of shoes appeared in her line of vision, and she pulled back involuntarily. Willing herself to keep quiet, she kept her eyes straight ahead, barely even daring to breathe._

_"Melody? Are you here?" a familiar voice said, making Melody's head perk up. That wasn't him, or at the least the one she feared. It could be a trap._

_"She's not back there, Coulson, and no one says they've seen her in the city, so she has to be somewhere around here!" a desperate female voice snapped. "We searched the whole house. Bastard was already gone."_

_"He might've taken her with him," the other replied. "She could be anywhere by now. You don't know she's out here."_

_"No, he didn't! Did you see the trail of blood leading out here? That has to be her!"_

_"And how do you know that? It could just be wishful thinking."_

_"I just do."_

_The woman's voice made any doubts the girl have disappear, and she tried to get up, but her left leg failed her. When they started to walk away, she reached out her small hand, and grasped the man's ankle. As expected, he almost freaked out, and almost kicked her, but she kept a firm grip, and yanked on the hem of his pants leg. Finally, he got the hint, and bent down to see a pair of emerald green eyes peering through the leaves. He could recognize those eyes anywhere._

_"Oh, God," he whispered quietly, and reached out to get her. She flinched, but he grabbed onto her, and pulled her up. He lifted her up into his arms when he saw she couldn't stand on her own. He looked at her leg, trying to examine the wound._

_She started yelling rapid Russian, panicked. He tried to calm her down, but she kept speaking rapid Russian, trying to tell him what happened. "I found her!" he yelled out._

_Footsteps ran in their direction, and the woman from before ran up to them. The moment she saw the child, she grabbed her from the man's arms. "I told you, Coulson," she said softly, hugging her daughter tightly. But the girl pulled away, continuing to ramble in Russian. "Calm down, milaya," she sighed. "You're speaking too fast."_

_The little girl only shook her head frantically, tears starting to fill her eyes. "On vystrelil v papu!" she managed once she calmed down enough for her mother to understand. Then she kept repeating that same sentence again and again, unable to stop as the memory replayed in her mind._

_"What is it? What's she saying?" Barton demanded, alarmed by the girl's state._

_"Her father's dead," the woman replied solemnly, her face suddenly wiped of all emotion. She held her daughter close, resting her head on her shoulder as the child kept repeating the same sentence, except more softly. "That's what she's saying. Her father's dead."_

* * *

 

Melody cried out as she woke up, covered in sweat. She looked around to find herself in her room. Alone. Glancing at the clock that read 5:30 AM, she threw her blanket to one side of the bed, and got out from under the covers. Grasping the rose quartz pendant hanging from the chain around her neck, she gained control of her breathing, She wiped her eyes to find them wet. Weird. She hadn't had that dream in a long, long while. Not for at least six years.

But she shook it off, and brushed her hair away from her face. That was a long time ago. She was stronger now. No one would dare hurt her the way he did back then, ever again. She was perfectly happy where she was. She remembered that day, how she'd cried all through the day and the night until the sun rose and there were no tears left to cry when she was a little girl. That had been years ago, and while she was the same in some ways, at the same time, a bit of her heart had been hardened to the core. She still laughed and lived happily, but a part of her died with him that day all those years ago. And one day, she'd make the demon-eyed man that killed him pay.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2nd chapter here. Shows a more lighthearted side of Melody

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few errors here but I'll try to fix it later!

"You need to slow down a little," Phil Coulson said. "People like S.H.I.E.L.D don't recruit people so young."

At his words, Melody whirled around from facing her punching bag, anger flashing in her eyes briefly. "I am not too young!" she exclaimed indignantly, a light Russian accent on her tongue. "I'm thirteen, and I'm actually better than most people older than me if you haven't noticed."

  
"Don't get too cocky," he scolded lightly. "And thirteen is way too young to put your life on the line on these type of missions."

  
"Intruders broke into my home and murdered my dad, and nearly murdered me if he hadn't stopped them in time," she said quietly, her red hair falling over her face before she pinned it back into her ponytail. She turned back around, and began pounding the punching bag again. "I wasn't too young for that."

  
"You're not going to bring him back by getting yourself killed trying to finish what he started," Phil shot back with a raised eyebrow. "Although, you guys are made of tough stuff. Just slow down a little and try not to get banged up too badly. If I find out you've gotten yourself killed, I will drag you from your grave, bring you back to life, and kill you again."

  
Melody's bell-like laughter rang throughout the room as she turned around. A contagious, bright smile was plastered on her face that made her emerald eyes light up. "You wouldn't, you'd miss me too much," she laughed.

"I will, trust me," he said, though unable to keep the smile off his face. His phone rang, and he regained his serious composure. "Break. Go practice your fencing or knife throwing. Your choice."

  
He answered, and put the phone to his ear. Melody smiled as she took a drink from her water bottle, and grabbed her duffel bag nearby. She took out two fencing swords. Good grip, light weight. With a small grin, she traced the blade with her finger, remembering how Phil got them for her birthday when she was ten after begging him for three months. Sharp, just as she liked them. Every morning, she made sure to sharpen them so sharp that when her friend Leo accidentally touched the tip once, his finger started bleeding instantly.

  
Taking a deep breath, she swiped one sword at the dummy in front of her before whirling around, and tossing the other at a target on the opposite side of the room. It spun across the room, and landed dead center in the middle, sticking out while the dummy split in half, and the top half slid off the bottom, tumbling onto the floor. She smiled, and internally cheered for herself, but kept it in since Phil was still in the room and she didn't want to seem unprofessional in front of him.

  
Melody sighed, tucked a stray curl behind her ear, and went to retrieve the sword, pulling it out of the target before repeating the process. By the time most of the dummies were destroyed, cut in half, and most of the targets had holes in them from where her swords pierced them, she heard Phil hiss into the phone, "What?! Fury, she's just a kid! Yes, I know she's the best student here but we all know she's not ready. She's too young." Despite herself, indignation filled Melody at his words as he paused for a minute. "Alright fine! But if she gets hurt..."

  
A minute later, he walked back into the room, stopping at Melody. She looked to him hopefully, her anger deflating. If it had to do with Director Fury, the news had to be good for her, right? "What happened?" she asked, pulling her sword out from yet another target.

Phil sighed, "Clint's been compromised."

"What?" Melody said, hope dissolving into worry and confusion. Clint had been a good friend of her father, and soon after he died, hers as well. "What happened?"

  
Another sigh. "They don't know yet, only that he goes by the name Loki. And he's not from here. We decided the Avengers initiative is back up, and we--and by we I mean Fury--wants you to go as backup with Natasha Romanoff to take the big guy." Melody's expression brightened considerably at the mention of going with her role model, though she attempted to hide it, one Phil could see through easily. Regaining her serious composure, she scoffed, twirling the sword in her right hand.

"That should be easy," she said with confidence. "Tony's not so hard."

Phil bit his lip. "Actually...I got the big guy, you two got the green guy."

  
Melody instantly stopped twirling the sword, and dropped both of them. The hulk. _The_ hulk, _Bruce_ _Banner_ , _the_ hulk. That was a challenge. At least it wasn't boring. She thought her first mission would end up being when she was eighteen at most, and a boring one, too at that. Get in, get the object needed, get out. Done. But the _hulk_? Internally, she squealed loudly in happiness and excitement, but externally kept a solemn face, or tried to at least.

  
All that pent up energy and excitement made Melody begin bouncing on the balls of her heels. It took only a moment for Phil to notice. He sent her an amused look. "It's fine, let it out," he said.

  
Instantly, as of the words were a trigger, Melody burst out so loud he wouldn't be surprised if the entire academy heard her, "Yes!" She wrapped her arms around Phil so tightly he felt she was choking him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! You won't regret this, I promise! Let's go!" she said all at once before running out, breaking into a cartwheel right as she exited the room.

Yep, that was Melody, one big ball of energy at times, and such a chatterbox that if you let her keep going, she'd never stop. "She's going to eat them all alive," he deadpanned, shaking his head, almost pitying them.

 

* * *

Melody sighed, donning a brown wig over her red curls, making her appear like the girl she asked to help lure the hulk to the hut where Natasha was waiting. An old friend who owed her a favor, and it just so happens Melody needed it. Other than their skin tone, the girl's being tanned and Melody's being pale, with the same colored hair, Melody almost looked like she could be her older sister.

Nodding at her friend, Melody followed her as they ran through the streets, passing people and vehicles. When she poked Melody's arm to get her attention as she saw Bruce Banner through the bars, Melody quickly put on her best helpless face, appearing afraid and worried. The woman up front began talking to them, and Melody's friend talked back in the same tongue until Bruce caught sight of them at the door. After a moment of her friend telling Bruce the story they'd gone over to get his attention, he pointed to the sick people nearby, clearly asking if their parent was sick.

Melody nodded, and held out the money un her hand, even bringing fake tears to her eyes to seem more believable. "Yes," she said softly in English.

  
Running again through the streets, leading Bruce to the destination in mind. He put out a hand to stop them from getting run over, and as soon as the vehicle past, they ran to the hut. Once they reached the door, Melody stopped and nodded to her friend before giving her a hug, and whispering, "thanks" in her ear. The girl only nodded in acknowledgement so as not to give anything away, and ran inside.

  
She ran to the room, crawled into the window, and crawled out. She made a run for it once her feet touched the ground. Behind Melody, Bruce had the realization he'd been tricked, and scoffed, "Should've asked to be paid upfront."

Melody sighed, and took her wig off, shaking her hair out so her red locks tumbled down her shoulders. Sweeping her hair out of her eyes, she turned back to Bruce, one corner of her mouth quirking up.

Natasha walked out, pulling her shawl over her shoulders. "You know, for a man who's avoiding stress, you picked a hell of a place to settle," she said.

"Avoiding stress isn't the secret," he shot back.

  
"Then what is it, yoga?" she asked.

"You brought me to the edge of the city. Smart," he said. "I presume the whole place is surrounded."

  
"One," Melody spoke up, "she didn't bring you here, I did. And two, nope."

  
"Just the three of us," agreed Natasha.

  
"And your actress buddies, they're spies too? Do they usually start that young?" he asked curiously. He paused, and looked at Melody. "Come to think of it, you look awfully young."

"I'm thirteen," sighed Melody, her accent coming out thicker in her irritation. "And not all, just those like us."

  
"Who are you two?"

"Natasha Romanoff," Natasha replied.

Bruce rubbed his hands together, looking down at the floor. "You two here to kill me, Miss Romanoff, 'cause that's not going to work out."

"No, no, of course not. I'm here on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D," she assured him.

"S.H.I.E.L.D," he repeated. "How'd they find me?"

  
"They never lost you actually," shrugged Melody. "They've been keeping other interested parties off your scent even."

"Why?"

"Nick Fury seems to trust you, and if he trusts you, so do I. In fact, I am a huge fan of your work, both as you and the other guy," she grinned, forgetting she was supposed to be serious and keep this business-like. "So's my friend Leo. When I told him I was coming here, he was 'green' with envy." When no one laughed at her little joke with her, she shrugged and waved it off. "Tough crowd. Either way, I feel bad to tell you this, but we kinda sorta need you to come in."

"What if I say no?"

"We'll persuade you."

  
"And what if the other guy says no?" he asked.

  
"You've been more than a year without an incident, and you don't seem like the kind of guy who would want to break that streak," Melody retorted sassily. "Now would you?

  
"Every time I get what I want." Natasha got her phone out, and found the picture of the cube.

  
"Doctor, we're facing a global catastrophe," she said.

He rolled his eyes. "Well those I try to avoid."

"That," continued Melody, hoisting herself to sit on the table as Natasha slid the phone across it to him, "is the tesseract. It has the potential energy to wipe out the planet."

Bruce got out his glasses, and put them on, picking up the phone as Natasha took a seat. "What does Fury want me to do, swallow it?" he asked.

"That's the thing," Melody smiled. "He wants _you_ to find it, not the hulk. The tesseract was taken from us, and it emmits a gamma signature that's too faint for us to trace. We need someone who knows gamma."

"And no one knows gamma like you," Natasha said, leaning back in her chair. "If there was, that's were I'd be."

  
Bruce took off his glasses, and gave the girls a long hard look, noticing how much they looked so alike, but contrasted so much in personality. "So, Fury isn't after the monster?"

"Not that he's told us."

"And he tells us everything," Melody mumbled sarcastically under her breath, saying exactly what Bruce was thinking. She in turn recieved a dirty look from Natasha that had her turning her gaze down at the table.

  
"He needs you in on this," Natasha continued to persuade.

"He needs me in a cage."

  
"No one's gonna-"

  
"STOP LYING TO ME! " he yelled, slamming his hands on the table. Natasha immediately grabbed a gun she'd hid from under the table, and pointed it at him. Melody flinched, but made no move to draw out any weapons. She didn't feel afraid of him, knowing he did anything he could _not_ to hulk out. After a moment, he stood up straight, an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry, that was mean. I just wanted to see how you would react," he apologized, putting up his hands to show he meant no harm. "Why don't we do this the easy way. You put down the gun, and the other guy doesn't make a mess. Alright, Natasha."

  
Slowly, she lowered the gun, and Melody looked to him with a grin. "That was sneaky, manipulative, and, yeah, a little mean. I like you already."

"Stand down," Natasha whispered into the ear piece in her ear.

   
"Just the three of us, huh?" Bruce mocked. Melody raised an eyebrow.

"Come on, I think we both knew she was lying," pointed out Melody with a shrug. She tucked a stray strand behind her ear.

  
"Let's get going, shall we? I got a jet waiting for us," said Natasha. Once she left the room, Melody stuck out her hand to Bruce.

"I know this if supposed to be only professional but I've never been very good at following rules," she smiled. "So let's pretend I didn't deceit you into coming here against your will with someone who owed me a favor. Hi, I am a huge fan of your work, a little more of the hulk though so expect me to brag all about this to my friend Leo. I can't believe I'm actually here, and can't wait to work with you. Also, question my abilities as an agent because of my age, I will prove you wrong. I've heard it way too many times in my life." She said all this at once without stopping to catch her breath until she finished. Bruce raised an eyebrow.

"Well you're a chatty one," he said, taking her hand and shaking it. "Bruce Banner."

"Melody. Last name, well, I'll have to say my dad's instead of my mom's maiden name, though I'd love to use my mom's because my dad's is Carter," she rambled, earning an amused small smile from the scientist. "Melody Carter doesn't have that ring to it like Natasha Romanoff and Bruce Banner or-" She cut herself off once she realized her mistake. "Sorry, I might talk a lot but next time just tell me when to-"

Her sentence was cut off as Bruce clamped his hand over her mouth. "Does that work?" he asked. Melody nodded and shrugged in reply as if to say _Yeah, that works_.


	3. Chapter 3

To say the ride back to the Helicarrier was a little awkward was an understatement. Melody sat beside Bruce and several trained, armed assassins. No one spoke during the entire ride, increasing the awkwardness of the whole situation and Melody's anxiety. Not a sound to be heard or a disturbance in the air. Somehow that bothered her more than the tension so thick she could cut it with a knife. The painful quiet reminded her of something, but she couldn't remember what. The silence made her ears ring, her heart pound. It made her want to scream just to make a sound. The quiet alone could easily drive her insane.

Biting her lip, she took out the small necklace under her shirt, and turned the quartz around in her hand. Outside was utterly pitch black. Every time she tried to doze off, the plane jolted, and she didn't think it was a good idea to start a conversation with Bruce or Natasha. Bruce looked stressed by all the security, and Natasha was lost in thought, her lips pressed into a thin line, eyebrows furrowed. How Melody missed Clint in situations like this, but she had to learn to handle the pressure if she really wanted to be a good agent, and she did.

She took a deep breath, and took out a pair of white and pink headphones before slipping them on over her scarlet hair. In a small effort to drown out the silence, she plugged her headphones into her phone, and scrolled through her playlist. After a moment of contemplation, she clicked on 'Run the World (Girls)' by Beyonce. Melody hummed along with the tune, but then she noticed Bruce shift uncomfortably in his seat out of the corner of her eye. Almost instantly she stopped humming, trying to sit still for a few moments.

Once she'd first gotten onto the plane, which felt like hours ago, she'd changed out of her outfit and into one of her favorites. She had slipped into a white crop tank top under a white cropped jacket, a knee-length white skirt, white tights, and white boots with stiletto heels. She had swept her hair up in a high ponytail, and slung a white messenger bag across her chest.

After a while of listening to her music, Melody felt someone lift up one side of her headphones, uncovering her left ear. "Sorry. Um, we're about to land."

She looked up, and noticed Bruce looking apologetic as if she were about to lash out at any moment for disrupting her music. But if anything, she was thankful. "Thanks," she grinned, taking off her headphones so they rested around her neck. She looked across to Natasha. "How many do we have?" 

"Coulson's got Tony. Fury's got Rogers. And we got Dr. Banner," she replied, her expression stoic. 

A curious glint entered Melody's eyes as she leaned forward a bit. "Rogers? Steve Rogers? The Steve Rogers? The Capsicle himself?" she beamed, leaning further forward in her seat. Her hands gripped the edge subconsciously to keep herself balanced if the plane jerked yet again.

"Yep," said Natasha, popping the 'p'. "Coulson's  with him right now." 

At that, Melody snickered behind her hand before it turned into full-out laughter. "Out of all people," she giggled. "Bednyazhka! The Captain's certainly got a lot of signing to do!"

Natasha smiled in amusement. "Yes, I guess he does."

Before Melody could open her mouth again, the plane dipped downwards, and she pitched forward, almost tumbling off if not for her firm grip. "Phew, that was close," she mumbled to herself, sitting back up. She clung onto the sides of the ship as Bruce muttered a silent prayer, and Natasha laughed at both their reactions.

"That wouldn't have happened if you had been sitting properly," Natasha chastised lightly. Melody snorted and raised an eyebrow.

"Gee, I didn't know my mother was on this trip," she said sarcastically, but there was a hint of bitterness behind it. No one seemed to pick up on it. And if they did, no one mentioned it, which Melody couldn't help but be glad for. What was her business was her business. Not theirs. And they could never know. 

It wasn't as if her mother would actually care where she was right now. She wouldn't care that her daughter was following the dangerous path her father had set on before. Her mother barely even remembered her daughter existed, and therefore couldn't care less about her. But what did that matter now? The past deserves to stay in the past. Especially when there was nothing she could do about it.

She peeked out the window to watch the jet land on a ship large enough to have an entire fleet of jets land on it simultaneously. Briefly, Melody wondered how many other people were on it as the doors of the jet opened for them to step outside. She walked out after Natasha and Bruce, staring at everything with amazed eyes. There were agents going on a run, agents in suits walking about with quick steps, and there were several jets taking off and landing. It was her first time actually here, and everything just astounded her; she couldn't begin to imagine how the Captain probably found all this since he hadn't even heard about computers a few weeks ago.

Melody scanned the place for another jet until it came into view, landing near her. Taking a deep breath to ready herself, she headed down the long runway alongside Natasha to the people stepping out the jet. Melody raised her fingers to her lips, and whistled loudly to get Phil's attention. It worked, and his head turned to the young redhead, who waved with a grin on her face. But rather than acknowledge her, his attention was more on Natasha in front of her.

"Agent Romanoff," he said. Melody actually nearly stopped in her tracks, but then she pursed her lips, and she continued on, crossing her arms. Focus.

From beside him, Steve Rogers landed his gaze on the two, but then his gaze centered on the thirteen-year-old, his brow furrowing in confusion. "This is Captain Rogers. And this--" he gestured to Melody after noticing the long, hard glare she was sending his way-- "is Miss Melody Carter, Captain."

"Pleasure to meet you, sir!" she grinned, holding out her hand. He eyed her up and down for a minute before shaking her hand. Her grip was surprisingly firm.

"Carter, huh?" Steve asked, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. He nodded his head to Natasha. "Ma'am," he greeted.

"Hi," said Natasha simply. Her eyes diverted to Phil. "They need you on the bridge."

"See you there," said Phil as he walked past all three. 

"It was quite the buzz, finding you in the ice," Natasha commented as they started to walk away from the jet, Melody holding her messenger bag close to her. "Thought Coulson was gonna swoon."

"I'll say," chuckled Melody, startling Steve. She rolled his eyes, guessing he'd actually forgotten she was there. "Last time I saw him that excited was when I let him drag me to that Captain America convention." With a broad grin, she turned to him. "Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?" At that, Steve stared at her, bewildered

"Trading cards?" he asked in a slightly amused tone.

"They're vintage and he's very proud," the redhead added absentmindedly, her attention centered on the inside of her bag as she searched through it.

"I was going to say that," Natasha mumbled. Melody snorted, but otherwise, Natasha's words didn't bring her at ease, which she hated. All her life, being around so many people made her feel intimidated. Being in crowds this huge made her anxiety spike up though she hid it easily with distractions. Like talking, or listening to music, or basically anything to keep her mind off it all. Maybe because she continuously thought every person glancing her way was judging or criticizing her in their head, or maybe because at the Academy, she didn't exactly go with the kindest of people and their constant comments had messed with her self-esteem. Or perhaps...it was the demon-eyed man who haunted her dreams, and the ever-present reminder he could be anywhere, always watching no matter where she went.        

Finally, she fished out a stick of bubblegum, and placed it in her mouth. She chewed feverishly at it in an effort to calm her nerves. Natasha stopped moving when she found Bruce, and nodded towards him, who was still standing by the jet, looking confused, and kept turning around on the spot.

"Dr. Banner," Steve called, making the scientist look at him and make his way to them. Steve stepped up, and while Natasha stayed behind, Melody went up so she was right beside Steve.

"Oh, yeah, hi," he said, shaking Steve's hand. "They told me you'd be coming."

"Word is you can find the cube," said Steve, letting go of the scientist's hand. Though it would've been an awkward atmosphere, especially since Bruce became the Hulk because of Steve in a way, Steve waved it off with a warm smile. 

"Is that the only word on me?" asked Bruce, sparing a glance at Melody.

"Only word I care about," he reassured Bruce, earning a small smile from him.

"It must be strange for you, all of this," Bruce commented, referring to the Helicarrier. Steve looked around.

"Actually," admitted Steve, his gaze landing on a pair of trainees jogging with their trainer, "this is kind of familiar."

Melody stopped paying attention to the conversation as she discreetly eavesdropped on Natasha while she spoke into her earpiece, as well as what was being said on the other side. 

"Alrighty, gentleman," she chimed in suddenly, "you may want to step inside in a minute." At those words, Natasha turned her head to the teenager in shock.

"How did you--"

"I'm a good listener," was all she said with a cheeky smile. "So, anyway, you might want to step inside because its about to get a little hard to breathe, people." Quickly, Melody jogged over to the edge of the ship, wanting to see it for herself. The clanking sound of metal filled the air while men barked orders all over to agents to secure the deck. When the water beside the boat started to move, her face lit up. 

"Is this a submarine?" Steve asked in disbelief as he and Bruce looked around with wide eyes, walking to stand next to her.

Bruce scoffed. "Really? They want me in a submerged, pressurized metal container?" The men peered over the edge, missing the amused glance Natasha exchanged with Melody. Melody shrugged and winked. She turned her gaze back below.

"You guys couldn't be farther off," she grinned, pointing downwards towards the water's surface where now two huge and round propellers had appeared, slowly starting to work, causing water to splash up towards the three of them.

When the "ship" started to rise from the water, the ground beneath their feet shook, and Melody instinctively gripped the sleeve of Natasha's leather jacket as she almost lost her footing for a moment. 

Bruce commented, half amused, half horrified, "Oh, no, this is much worse." Wind began to blow against their faces, causing them to back away from the edge. 

"Shall we go inside then?" offered Natasha, a smirk playing on her lips, before she turned around, walking towards the other side of the landing area.

"A Helicarrier!" Melody exclaimed excitedly, her feet barely able to keep up with Natasha's long strides as the three of them followed her. "Phil used to tell me about these!"

"I didn't know S.H.I.E.L.D. had these kinds of things," Steve muttered.

"Well, the first thing you should learn about S.H.I.E.L.D. is that there's a lot you don't know about it," said Melody matter-of-factly. "No one really knows all of their secrets." After a while, she finally realized her fingers beginning to hurt in her left hand, and looked down to see them still grasping Natasha's jacket sleeve tightly. The instant she noticed this, she let go. Although Natasha didn't seem to have either noticed or didn't mind, Melody bit her lip and chewed harder at the gum in her mouth.

 

* * *

At some point, Melody had wandered away from the group, and found where she'd be sleeping until this was over. The room she had for the time she'd be staying on the Helicarrier was nothing special. More than likely, it looked like the rest of the rooms with a simple bed in the corner, a desk in the front, facing the door, and a wardrobe. There was a pad placed on the desk and a pen with some paper sitting next to it. Apart from the lamp on the wall and on her bedside table, there were no other decorations. Not even a window, though it was easy to see why; her room was placed on one of the bottom levels, which meant it was right beneath the propellers, and with a window, it'd be hard to isolate the noise. Not that Melody would mind it. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the ballerina doll propped up on the headboard. Attached was a small white card. Without even reading it, Melody stormed over to the bed, ripped the card off, and tossed it in the garbage. Then tossed the doll in without looking at it. If she did, it would make her lose her nerve. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she fell back onto the bed, her ponytail spreading out beneath her head like a red fan.

"That son of a bitch is never going to leave me alone, is he?" she asked herself quietly. She already knew the answer to that. With everything going on, she actually almost forgot what today is. That is until that bastard reminded her. On this exact day. Every. Single. Year. 

Of course he'd never leave her alone. She had accepted it by now. After all, he had been doing it for seven years now. She hadn't told Phil, or Fury or Maria, or anyone really. It was safer that way, and everyone hovered over her enough without something else to worry about.

After a minute, she got up and unpacked her stuff, tossing her messenger bag into the wardrobe along with the extra clothes she'd pack. She left her swords in their sheaths, and carefully placed them on the bed. Everyone wondered why she stuck to swords, but the truth was she didn't quite like guns, and daggers were out of the question, though she never told anyone why. With one last look at the mirror, she left the room, and made her way to the bridge quickly, only asking for directions once, which she happened to be proud of. 

"Miss Carter," greeted Fury when she entered the bridge, smiling at her amazed look as she took everything in. The bridge was amazingly high tech like the rest of the Helicarrier, apart from her room, and she couldn't help looking around at it all with wide eyes.

"Hey, Un--Director Fury," Melody beamed, catching herself just in time.

"How you feeling?" he whispered to her, earning a confused look from her. "I know this is emotionally complex for you."

At that, Melody snorted and chuckled quietly. "You know I can't afford to let this become emotionally complex, Uncle Nick." He may not actually be her uncle, but it'd become habit calling him that since she was six. But now she had to be professional. No emotions involved, or at least not here.

Fury furrowed his brow, staring at her with his eye for a long time before he simply nodded. "You can back out anytime you want," he said quietly. "Just know that."

"I won't back out," she replied firmly, jutting her chin out in defiance. "Carters don't quit, Director Fury. I thought you knew that," she smirked before walking away. She noticed two familiar faces, and walked over to them.

"....I mean if it's not too much trouble," said Phil, mirroring Steve's posture with his arms crossed over his chest as he looked over the working agents.

"No, no, it's fine," assured Steve, glancing at Melody and frowning slightly before he returned his gaze towards Phil. Noticing his reaction upon seeing her, Melody narrowed her eyes, and took out another piece of bubblegum to keep calm and quiet.

Phil continued on, making Melody smile softly as she stood behind both men, her hands clasped behind her back. "It's a vintage set. Took me a couple of years to collect them all. Near mint. Slight miscol--"

"Sir, we got a hit!" called out agent Sitwell from close by as he turned to Fury, causing Phil, Rogers, and Melody to turn and look at him. "67 percent match. Wait, cross match, 79 percent."

Phil walked over to the agent, asking, "Location?"

"Stuttgart, Germany," replied Sitwell. "28th Königstrasse. He's not exactly hiding."

"Captain, Miss," said Fury, catching the Captain's and Melody's attention. "You're up."

Though her heart started beating quicker now that their mission was actually beginning, Melody nodded. They had to stop this before something horrible happened, which was bound to. Something that confused her to no end was why someone would believe freedom was when freedom was no longer there, a belief that basically started this whole mess.

"On it." She was already halfway down the corridor to her room, walking at swift pace, before the Captain caught up to her.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Yes, why?" she demanded, her accent thicker with irritation, though her tone polite. Overly so.

"Whatever Fury told you had you worried," he said as she got to her door.

"It wasn't anything for you to worry about," she retorted, still sounding a bit too polite and formal, praying he'd just let it go. After all, he had his own problems to worry about, all much worse than hers, and she didn't want him to think she was some sniveling little girl who shouldn't be here on the Helicarrier. She could already see his doubt of her in his eyes. It made her blood boil. Although it was sweet of him to ask, she couldn't help but feel a hint of resentment towards him.

"Nervous?" 

She didn't even glance back at him, her formal tone not breaking once. "No, Captain, why on earth would I be nervous? It's not like the whole world might possibly depend on us not messing this up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Google Translations:
> 
> 1\. Bednyazhka! - The poor thing!


End file.
